Apparatus for administration of parenteral fluids



R. C. MOORE Dec. 30, 1958 APPARATUS FOR ADMINISTRATION OF PARENTERALFLUIDS Filed Dec. 20, 1956 INVENTOR. Russell 6. Moore EC/(HOFF 5L /c/ATTORNEYS M 4% A MEMnrn 0F THE Fl United States Patent APPARATUS FORADMINISTRATION OF PARENTERAL FLUIDS Russell C. Moore, Orinda, Calif.,assignor t0 Cutter Laboratories, Inc., a corporation of CaliforniaApplication December 20, 1956, Serial No. 629,530

2 Claims. (Cl. 128214) This invention relates to the administration ofparenteral fluids.

It has been usual heretofore to include in the apparatus employed in theadministration of parenteral fluids suitable clamps or a multiple-waystopcock to permit of the administration of two or more fluids. Forexample, it is sometimes desirable to administer an anesthetic or othersupplementary medication during the course of administration of aparenteral fluid. It will be obvious that a flow-controlling device suchas a multiple-way stopcock must include a relatively complicated fluidpassage system and is therefore expensive to manufacture and,additionally, is diflficult to clean and sterilize. Further, theoperation of such a flow control device is relatively involved andunless the person handling the administration is quited skilled, morethan one operator is usually required.

The present invention provides a simple apparatus assembly enablingsupplemental medication to be added to an existing intravenousadministration set-up. This apparatus is extremely simple and positivein its opera tion. With previous set-ups, the time lost in opening andclosing of valves, shut off clamps and the like could be quite lengthyand frequently, in surgery, the time lost in such procedures iscritical. In addition, a slight maladjustment can result in a loss ofthe fluid level in the drip chamber which is utilized to control therate of flow of the parenteral fluid. All of difficulties and objectionsare overcome with the apparatus of the present invention.

It is in general the broad object of the present invention to provide anovel, simple and improved apparatus for the administration ofparenteral fluids.

The invention includes other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, together with the foregoing, will appear hereinafter wherein thepresent preferred form of administration apparatus is disclosed. In thedrawing accompanying and forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a side view,partly in section, showing an apparatus assembly embodying the presentinvention.

Figure 2 is a section taken along the line 22 in Figure 1, showing theconstruction of the check valve.

. Referring to the drawing, I have indicated at 6 a container for asuitable parenteral fluid, the latter being closed with a puncturablestopper, as is well-known in the art. A flow meter or drip meter,generally indicated at 7, is inserted through the stopper in thecontainer 6 and provides a means for observing the rate of the flow offluid from the container 6. A length of tubing 8 connects the outlet endof the drip meter to a check valve, generally indicated at 9. The otherend of the check valve is connected by tubing 10 to a Y-connection,generally indicated at 11. The Y-connection includes a first inlet legor passage 12, a second inlet leg or passage 13, and an outlet leg orpassage 14, the latter being connected by a length of tubing 16 to anadapter 17, the latter being fitted within the hub 18 of a needle 19.

The second leg 13 is connected by a short length of tubing 21 to asecond check valve, generally indicated Patented Dec. 30, 1958 ice by ascrew clamp, generally indicated at 27. Unless it is desired toadminister a supplementary fluid, the inlet 23 on the second check valve22 is closed as by a sterile cover. If it is desired during the courseof the administration of the parenteral fluid from container 6 toadminister a supplementary fluid, for example, an anesthetic medicationsuch as sodium pentothal, it is only necessary to uncover the inlet 23,insert the end 24 of syringe 26 and inject the supplementary medicationinto the fluid.

system. The injected material cannot pass check valve 9 nor can thefluid in the system pass the check valve 22. Thus, the two portions ofthe system are isolated, one from the other, by the two check valves,yet the supplementary material can be injected into the fluid system andto the patient. In place of a syringe, any other fluid feeding means canbe employed.

As suitable check valves, any device well-known in the art can beutilized and one can use a ball-check or a flap check valve, as desired.That depicted is one which is well-known and which includes a disc 31supported on several lugs 35 in spaced relation to the sidewalls 32 ofcheck valve body 33' to permit free fluid flow in one direction. Thedisc is also spaced closely adjacent to the end of check valve inlet 34.If fluid flow reversal occurs, the disc is moved slightly upwardly tocover the end of the inlet 34 and so prevent the back-flow of fluid.

If the inlet end 23 of the second check valve 22 is exposed and if thelength of tubing between the Y-connector 11 and needle 19 is undulylong, it is possible, under some circumstances, to aspirate air into thesystem. This can be avoided in either of two ways. Preferably, theoverall length of tubing between the end of the needle 19 and theY-connection is made relatively short so that the flow of fluid isincapable of aspirating air into the system past the check valve 22. Ifit is desired to provide a more positive check, check valve 22 can bemaintained in closed position as by application of pressure from spring25 so that it is only moved out of sealing position upon application ofa positive external fluid force.

From the foregoing, I believe it will be apparent that I have provided anovel, simple, and-improved apparatus for the administration ofparenteral fluids and particularly for the administration ofsupplementary medication.

I claim:

1. In a parenteral fluid administration set, a fluid container having anoutlet, a drip meter connected to said outlet, a first check valve, afirst fluid conduit connected first check valve, a Y-connection having afirst and second at one end to said drip meter and at its other end tosaid inlet conduit and a common third outlet conduit, conduit meansconnecting the first check valve and the first inlet conduit, a secondcheck valve connected to the second inlet conduit and having a movablevalve member therein normally maintained in closed position and movableunder positive fluid force application to permit fluid flow therethroughinto the second inlet conduit and thence to the third outlet conduit.

2. In a parenteral fluid administration set, a fluid container having anoutlet, a drip meter connected to said outlet, a first check valve, afirst fluid conduit connected at one end to said drip meter and at itsother end to said first check valve, a Y-connection having a first andsecond inlet conduit and a common third outlet conduit, conduit meansconn:cting the first check valve and the first inlet conduit, a secondcheck valve connected to the second inlet conduit and having a movablevalve member therein normally maintained in closed position and movableunder positive fluid force application to permit fluid flow therethroughinto the second inlet conduit and thence to the third outlet conduit,the second check valve being adapted for connection to a hypodermicsyringe whereby a liquid can be forced preferentially to the thirdoutlet conduit.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 181,940Hovey et a1. Sept. 5, 1876

